Characteristics

of Life
Characteristics of Life
 Organization
 Metabolism
 Homeostasis
 Growth
 Reproduction
 Response
 Evolution
Organization
 Living
things are highly organized,
meaning they contain specialized,
coordinated parts. All living organisms are
made up of one or more cells, which are
considered the fundamental units of life.
Metabolism
 Lifedepends on an enormous number of
interlocking chemical reactions. These
reactions make it possible for organisms to
do work—such as moving around or
catching prey—as well as growing,
reproducing, and maintaining the
structure of their bodies.
Homeostasis
 Living organisms regulate their internal
environment to maintain the relatively
narrow range of conditions needed for
cell function
 This maintenance of a stable internal
environment, even in the face of a
changing external environment, is known
as homeostasis.
Growth
 Living organisms undergo regulated
growth. Individual cells become larger in
size, and multicellular organisms
accumulate many cells through cell
division.
 Growth depends on anabolic pathways
that build large, complex molecules such
as proteins and DNA, the genetic
material.
Reproduction
 Livingorganisms can reproduce themselves to
create new organisms. Reproduction can be
either asexual, involving a single parent organism,
or sexual, requiring two parents
 Response
 Living
organisms show “irritability,” meaning that
they respond to stimuli or changes in their
environment. For instance, people pull their hand
away—fast!—from a flame; many plants turn
toward the sun; and unicellular organisms may
migrate toward a source of nutrients or away from
a noxious chemical
 Evolution
 Populations of living organisms can
undergo evolution, meaning that the genetic
makeup of a population may change over time.
 Over generations, a heritable trait that provides a
fitness advantage may become more and more
common in a population, making the population
better suited to its environment. This process is
called adaptation.